1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool and a method for assessing a position of an indicator mark disposed on a vehicle surface, and more particularly to a tool and a method for assessing the position of a child restraint anchorage indicator mark disposed on a seat of a vehicle.
2. Background Art
Motor vehicles may include a child restraint anchorage system. A child restraint anchorage system uses a plurality of anchorages to transfer loads from a child safety seat to the vehicle structure. Such anchorages may be located where they are partially concealed by or recessed from the exterior surfaces of a vehicle seat. Manufacturer, industry, or government standards may require that an indicator mark be employed to conspicuously identify the location of an anchorage. Moreover, such standards may establish where the indicator mark must be located.
The position of an indicator mark may vary due to the dimensional tolerances of vehicle, seating, and anchorage system components. Accurately assessing the location of an indicator mark is difficult not only due to tolerance variations, but also due to the complex surface geometries and contours of interior vehicle surfaces. In addition, Applicants of the present invention have discovered that it is difficult to assess the location of an indicator mark disposed on a deformable surface, such as a vehicle seat, since a tool may deform or reshape the seat, thereby altering the position of the indicator mark.
Before applicant's invention, there was a need for a tool and a method for accurately determining the position of a child restraint anchorage indicator mark. In addition, there was a need for an apparatus and a method that could be used with various child restraint anchorage designs and configurations. Moreover, there was the need for a tool that could accommodate vehicle and component tolerances and dimensional variations. In addition, there was a need for a tool that could assess an indicator mark position without altering the indicator mark location or orientation. Also, there was the need for a tool and a method that could be used to quickly and cost effectively assess indicator mark locations. Furthermore, there was a need for an easy to use, ergonomically designed tool that reduces training time and associated costs. Problems associated with the prior art as noted above and other problems are addressed by applicant's invention as summarized below.